Rational Design and Development of Theranostics

What we do?

Janjic Lab applies modern pharmaceutics, fluorous and polymer chemistry, imaging and biology to design and development of theranostics. We aim to change how theranostics are designed and used. Theranostic nanosystems are powerful preclinical research tools that can shed light on disease mechanisms.

Our philosophy and approach

We design theranostic formulations as simple, elegant and manufacturing friendly, so they can reach the clinic fast and become future affordable personalized medicines. Each chemical entity serves at least two roles, which decreases overall nanoreagent complexity and increases it's partical value. We believe that theranostics do not need to be either complex or expensive. We also see theranostics as the way to improve all pharmaceutical dosage forms (gels, tablets, capsules, suspensions, emulsions, implants).

Design

Our theranostic nanoreagent synthetic platform is based on perfluorocarbons and their unique physical and chemical properties. We synthesize perfluorocarbon conjugates (to lipids, fluorescent dyes, PEGs, targeting moieties, etc.) which are then combined with hydrocarbons, polymers and surfactants into biocompatible nanoreagents for drug delivery and imaging. Theranostic nanoparticles we produce can be imaged in vivo by both optical imaging and MRI.

We also expanded the theranostics principles to gels, capsules and implants. Our goal is to use perfluorocarbons for variety of pharmaceutical dosage forms rendering them 19F MRI visible which would allow us to study in vivo dosage form behavior in real time non-invasively. Further, perfluorocarbons can be used to modulate drug release, compartmentalize multiple therapeutic moiety and/or imaging agents into a single formulation.

For discussions theranostics design, development and use in preclinical researchplease visit Dr. J's blog